80GB PlayStation 3 will not launch in the UK

Bumper Korean model will remain exclusively theirs

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There are no plans to launch the new 80GB PlayStation 3 console anywhere except in South Korea. That's according to a Sony representative in Australia who spoke to the SMH .

Sony recently announced the launch of the 80GB PlayStation 3 console for the Korean market, where internet speeds are vastly superior to most other countries. Sony said that the amount of data that can be downloaded in Korea means that people there need more storage, hence the newly spec'd PS3.

And while there has been much speculation that this 80GB model will make its way into other territories like Europe, US and Australia, this apparently is not on the cards.

"We see the PlayStation 3 as a computer entertainment system that will have different skews or different product offerings where relevant," said Adrian Christie at Sony SCE down under.

Makes a lot of sense

"The announcement is only relevant to Korea at this point and doesn't bear a rating here but they identify a need for the application there," he said.

This would certainly make a lot of sense. Replacing the current 60GB model in Europe and Australia with an 80GB one would not be much of a step up at all. Although it's more likely that it might get released in the USA and/or Japan where they have a 20GB model as well as the 60GB one. A higher capacity PS3 would fit nicely into that range, and could easily replace the 20GB model.

It was back in March, in fact, that an 80GB PS3 was passed through the FCC; Sony had to file for approval of a new Bluetooth module which let the cat out of the bag.

Still though, with the Xbox 360 Elite having already launched Stateside with a 120GB hard disc, it seems unthinkable that Sony would refurnish its PS3 with an inferior 80GB one. It's more likely that an updated console would at least match or supersede the new Xbox.